WASHINGTON, D.C. (WUSA) - Many victims of mass casualty situations feel a sense of guilt for being spared. Colin Goddard never felt that survivor's guilt. He just felt lucky to be alive after being shot four times. But he lost many friends, a beloved instructor and classmates. The horrific shooting did give him a strong sense of purpose: To stop gun violence.

He believes that since the Virginia Tech shootings, little has changed to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people.

"As long as guns are sold in such a lackadaisical way, without a concern for the greater good, people are going to get shot," said Goddard.

Goddard now works for the Brady Campaign after surviving the Virginia Tech Shootings 5 years ago. He was hit multiple times by Seung Hui Cho, who was armed with a two semi automatic handguns he had legally purchased himself. The Aurora suspect, James Holmes, had 4 high-powered weapons, according to Aurora police.

"These are high powered military weaponry that we sell to the civilian population in America. And because of that, people are literally walk in and in seconds shoot tens, twenty, thirty people," said Goddard.

He believes the general public shouldn't be able to buy weapons like that. Since the Virginia Tech massacre, some laws have changed to keep known mentally ill people like Cho from purchasing guns... but only if they are buying from a Gun dealer.

"We don't even require people to go through background checks when they buy a gun here. That's insane. People need to know that," said Goddard.

In most states, private gun sales, including those at gun shows, require no background checks.

Goddard said, "What upsets me is, people say now is not the time to talk about gun violence in America. Now's not the time to talk about solutions, for whatever reason. If now's not the time, when twelve people are dead, dozens more injured, a whole community has been turned upside-down, when is the time? When is the time to address this issue? When the time out elected officials is are actually going to do something for our public safety? If not now, when? Now is the time."

Bills that would ban assault weapons and close the so-called gun show loop hole have been introduced many times in Congress, but support isn't there to get them passed.